CD-quality lossless audio is finally coming to wireless headphones, as Qualcomm announces aptX Lossless, which the company says is capable of delivering 3065-bit audio. XNUMX kHz via Bluetooth. aptX Lossless is a new feature of Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound technology, which works on mobile platforms including Snapdragon XNUMX, headphone chips like the QCCXNUMXx SoC (system on chip), and the company's audio codecs, including Qualcomm Active Noise Canceling and Adaptive aptX. By leveraging basic wireless connectivity and audio technologies in aptX Adaptive that work together for automatic detection and scaling, aptX Lossless has the ability to deliver CD-quality audio when users listen to music, lossless music files, and when radio frequency conditions are suitable. Although aptX Adaptive is capable of delivering Hi-Res Audio up to XNUMX-bit / XNUMXkHz, this is the first time the technology has been truly lossless. So what does this really mean for music lovers? Qualcomm claims that the audio will be "bit-for-bit mathematically accurate," which means you won't lose any data over a wireless connection. Until now, the bit rate required to deliver this kind of high-quality audio has not been available via Bluetooth. The bad news is that aptX Lossless isn't available on existing wireless headphones and earphones. Qualcomm says the technology is expected to be available by the end of XNUMX and will require new hardware, from the phone you use to stream your music to the headphones you listen with. Devices compatible with the technology are not expected to hit shelves until early XNUMX.
(Image credit: Qualcomm)
Review: Why Hi-Res Audio Is Essential
According to Qualcomm, aptX Lossless "delivers sound the way the artist intended," so you can expect sound that closely replicates the quality musicians and engineers were working with in the studio at the time of release. It might sound like something only hardcore audiophiles would care about, but Hi-Res Audio has grown in popularity over the last year, with major music streaming services like Apple Music and Amazon Music HD offering lossless streaming. to its subscribers at no additional cost. . Until recently, lossless audio was considered a premium feature that you had to pay more for, but music lovers are becoming more interested in getting the most out of their streams.
Apple Music (displayed on an iPhone) now offers lossless sound. (Image credit: Apple) It's not just about streaming services, either. Although earphones and wireless headphones came with a warning of poor audio quality, improvements in Bluetooth technology and hardware mean that wireless headphones and true wireless headphones can compete with even the best wireless headphones. The best in-ear headphones with wire. And that's partly due to user demand. According to Qualcomm's XNUMX State of Sound Survey, sound quality is the most important purchasing factor in any and all audio devices. Plus de la moitié des répondants à l'enquête ont déclaré qu'ils recherchaient une qualité audio sans perte ou haute résolution, tandis que "sixty-four % ont déclaré qu'ils qualité audio sans perte est susceptible d'influencer leur décision d'acheter des écouteurs without threads". So Hi-Res Audio is no longer a niche feature. And while opponents will claim the difference in quality is barely noticeable, we'd equate the experience of hearing lossless sound to cleaning a dirty window and letting light in for the first time. As long as you have the right stuff - which will soon be even easier thanks to aptX Lossless - CD quality and superior music should uncover new details in your music that you may never have felt before. For a music lover, whether you consider yourself an audiophile or not, it seems worth investing in a new kit in XNUMX.